The present invention relates to structural connectors for use in wood trusses or the like. In particular, the present invention relates to diagonal connections such as tension webs for trusses.
Wooden floor trusses and flat roof trusses typically are formed of horizontal upper and lower chords interconnected by spaced-apart vertical studs. Such trusses also are commonly strengthened and stabilized by the use of diagonal tension webs positioned between adjacent studs. Whether the truss is framed on site or prefabricated, these tension webs cause considerable difficulty in fabrication and assembly, because the ends must be sawed at precise angles to fit in the angles between the horizontal and vertical members of the truss. Special web saws must be used and the process is slow and laborious.
Metal diagonal structural connectors are known in the art and are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,591,997 and 3,875,719, for framing side walls of buildings or tying multiple truss sections together. Such prior art connectors include metal strips which must be inserted into complementary grooves cut in the wood members. This necessitates a separate sawing operation which must be very carefully and accurately done. Furthermore, these prior art connectors are attached by separate fastening nails which must be individually hammered, which further adds to the time and cost of the assembly operation. Other metal tension webs are known in which the fastening portions are manufactured separately from the interconnecting truss web and require additional assembly operations and because of the configuration, result in substantial metal scrap in construction.